Online platforms and search engines are extensively used by scammers to identify their victims - both individuals and organisations - and communicate with them. Under the Digital Services Act, very large online platforms and search engines are required to assess and mitigate systemic risks associated with the dissemination of illegal content and with consumer protection.
The Commission is asking the companies to provide detailed information on how they assess the presence of fraudulent content and what measures they take to reduce the risks of financial scams. For Apple App Store and Google Play, this includes fraudulent applications that imitate legitimate banking, investment or trading apps. For Booking.com, this concerns fake accommodation listings designed to trick users into making payments that never result in an actual booking. The Commission is also asking Apple App Store, Google Play and Booking.com how they verify the identity of the businesses using their services, under the “Know Your Business Customer” rules, which can help them identify suspicious entities before they cause harm. For Bing and Google Search, the request covers links and ads that lead users to fraudulent websites, often resulting in financial losses.
Moreover, the Commission is asking platforms to provide details about their advertising repositories - the databases where information on all ads must be stored and made accessible. The repositories enable regulators, researchers and the public to detect fraudulent ads and patterns used by scammers. The Commission is ensuring that its DSA actions are consistent with, and complementary to, other actions taken under consumer protection laws.
Find further information about the Digital Services Act and the supervision of designated VLOPs under DSA.